Both sides claim gains after sleepover

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promptly pulled the Defense authorization bill from the floor, likely putting off further debate on the war until after Labor Day.
John Shinkle

What did 10 days of Iraq debate, 20 consecutive hours of speeches and more than a dozen cots accomplish?

For Democrats, they picked up two more votes in their months-long quest to stitch together the 60-vote majority needed to force President Bush to change his Iraq war strategy.

For Republicans, they were able to show that Democrats had indeed picked up only two more votes -- and remain far from muscling Bush into withdrawing troops by May.

After a rare overnight session, the measure failed Wednesday to clear a procedural hurdle, at 52-47, that required 60 votes. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promptly pulled the Defense authorization bill from the floor, likely putting off further debate on the war until after Labor Day.

His aides were juggling the schedule Wednesday and had not finalized what would be on the Senate's agenda before the August recess. The Senate will debate an education measure for the next two days and then could move either to the Homeland Security spending bill or to another appropriations bill. Reid was also considering bringing up a children's health insurance package that state officials have been clamoring for during the last several months.

Within minutes of the Senate vote, which the senators cast from their desks in the chamber, both sides claimed victory.

"What we avoided was a signal from the U.S. Senate that would have emboldened our enemy and broken the backs of everybody who tried to reject this extremist agenda," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). "In this regard, it's been a good day."

Democrats chose a glass-half-full approach.

"We're all a little bit weary. But we're one vote closer to ending this war," said Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin. "This will come back. It will return again and again. Our colleagues in the Senate are going to have a chance to go home, explain their votes and vote again. And eventually, I am confident they'll join us in changing the direction in Iraq."

Democrats netted four Republican senators -- Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine. Hagel and Smith had previously supported Democratic-sponsored Iraq measures, while Snowe joined them for the first time with Wednesday's vote.

Collins, who is up for reelection next year, said she still opposes the measure from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) requiring the withdrawal of some combat troops by May but voted to advance the legislation because she opposed Republican efforts to filibuster it.

After negotiations broke down and Reid pulled the Defense authorization bill from the floor, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) had some harsh words for the Democratic leader.

"We have had all of the effectiveness of the Iraqi parliament in dealing with this issue here in the Senate," he said.

Alexander said his amendment, which would implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, offers the best chance of reaching bipartisan consensus on the issue. "I believe there are 60 votes for it in the Senate," he said.

Alexander, however, repeated his assertion that Bush needs to be more flexible in his approach to Iraq policy and should start by embracing the study group's recommendations. "We are going to continue to talk to colleagues about it," Alexander said. "And I am going to encourage the president to be more active about it, to reach out to Democratic members of the Senate who support it."

The unusual series of events leading up to the 11 a.m. vote prompted more speculation than normal on what each side gained over the last week, which produced little in terms of tangible results.

The Senate did not pass the underlying Defense authorization bill, which includes a troop pay raise, funding for equipment and training, and improved services for wounded veterans.

"It's pretty pathetic to bring down the whole DOD bill because they didn't get their little stinking amendment," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah).

And Democrats, despite softening Republican support for the war, still remain short the votes needed to pressure Bush into redeploying troops.

But by forcing an unusual all-night session and creating TV-friendly images such as setting up rows of cots for members to catnap, Democrats managed to inject fresh interest into a debate that has almost become commonplace in Congress. Since January, the House and Senate have taken numerous votes on the Iraq war.

"The public was paying attention to this in a way they haven't paid attention to a debate before," Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday. "For the last month, we've seen many of our Republican colleagues go to their home states and say, 'I want a change in course.' But with the focus of the debate tonight, the fact that they don't vote here in the Senate the way they speak back at home was crystal clear."

Reed has stated both publicly and privately that he is convinced that Army Gen. David Petraeus is on the verge of calling for a new direction in Iraq, potentially including a phased withdrawal or redeployment. Reed, a former platoon commander in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, recently met with Petraeus during a visit to Baghdad.

"I got the impression from Gen. Petraeus that he wasn't waiting," Reed said during a recent appearance on C-SPAN. "Now he might be overruled by people in the White House and, you know, wait until September. But he seemed very eager to come forward as quickly as possible with a new direction and policy."

Petraeus is scheduled to return to Washington in mid-September to report to Bush and Congress on the state of progress inside Iraq, and both sides have portrayed it as the pivotal moment in the debate. Bush and his top aides, including national security adviser Stephen Hadley and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have been begging skittish lawmakers to wait until September before voting for withdrawal or redeployment.

In a turnabout from the earlier fight over the Iraq supplemental bill, when there was a backlash against Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, anti-war groups said they were pleased by the Senate vote.

Tom Matzzie, Washington director of the group MoveOn.org, said he did not believe the anti-war movement would be able to exert sufficient political pressure on GOP moderates like Collins and Snowe until later in the year.

Readers' Comments (154)

Last night's filibuster showed that the republicans have chosen to marry themselves to Bush and to Iraq. In recent weeks there have been numerous republicans - clearly seeing the upcoming 2008 election and knowing what continued support for a failed president will mean for them - who have "spoken out" for a change in direction in Iraq.

Last night they showed that they've decided to stand with the President and stand against the American people.

In 2008 you'll look back to the thumpin you got in 2006 with nostalgia.

scire facias... Last night they showed that they've decided to stand with the President and stand against the American people. Can you tell me where the American people stand? I dont mean quote from a poll with questions designed to elicit specific answers. Have the American people been asked do you want to quit, leave the mess over there and bring the troops home? I don't think so. Have they been asked would you mind if the terrorists bomb a few American cities and kill a couple thousand Americans in exchange for bringing the troops home?

Wayno, Exactly which American people did they stand up for? They didn't stand up for the 60+% of the American people that realize invading and occupying Iraq was a horrible mistake. They didn't stand up for the American soldiers who now have to "stay the course" until an arbitrary September deadline before hearing a report saying there is some improvement towards some of the benchmarks, so we must stay the course until the benchmarks are met. They did stand up for an administration that has avoided responsibility for every bad decision they have made, refused to admit mistakes, and covered up their errors at every opportunity. They stood up for big oil and Halliburton, telling them they have another 2 months to plunder before any changes will even be contemplated. And they stood up for themselves, the minority's right to hinder any progress, even against the overwhelimg will of the American people. When the Democrats were the minority, they were called obstructionists, and were threatened with the "nuclear option" of changing the Senate rules to close debate. I haven't heard any such threats against the GOP.

I'd say they decided to stick to their principles, ignoring the political consequences, to stand up for the American people.

Do I need to remind you that the American people have turned against this republican war? Do I need to remind you that just today the administration admitted that the people who did actually attack us on 9/11 have garnered enough support and members that they rival the same level that they did on that day?

Your president has mismanaged this war from its inception. You bought it, along with him. Enjoy the albatross, he's all yours.

Can you tell me where the American people stand? I dont mean quote from a poll with questions designed to elicit specific answers.

Of course - "do you approve of the President's handling of the war" is SOOOO loaded. It's pretty simple Jinks - you've decided that scientific sampling is biased. I can't convince you of anything - because like an 8 year old who doesn't want to go to bed - you're refusing to listen.

Thats fine. You stomp your feet. You shove your fingers in your ears. And when you and your party is driven from office by the American people sick of your tantrums - you can rant and rail all you want.

[Of course - "do you approve of the President's handling of the war" is SOOOO loaded. It's pretty simple Jinks - you've decided that scientific sampling is biased. I can't convince you of anything - because like an 8 year old who doesn't want to go to bed - you're refusing to listen.] Apparently you slept through that part of class it isn?t the sampling it is how you ask the question that gets the response you want.

Thats fine. You stomp your feet. You shove your fingers in your ears. And when you and your party is driven from office by the American people sick of your tantrums - you can rant and rail all you want.

Apparently you slept through that part of class it isn?t the sampling it is how you ask the question that gets the response you want.

That's a pretty bold accusation. One must wonder the reams of evidence you must have that proves that claim. Must be tons, seeing how bush's approval rating is so low across all polling. Tell you what. We'll restrict it to just the Fox news polling, and you can present the proof you have that they've been asking their questions differently:

Perhaps you can post some audio clips of just how a person can "ask a question" that would turn about 50% of the country from approving to disapproving.

I don't quote or cite polls often, if ever, for the simple reason that you can find one that says anything you want it to making any point you want to make with the spin. The only "poll" that means anything is called an "election." Everything else is political diahhrea.

Must be tons, seeing how bush's approval rating is so low across all polling.

First of all that is relative considering his approvals are about double Congress. Also, if they asked me if I approved I would be a no. His Immigration deal was unforgiveable. Do I wish I'd voted for Senator Kerry now - NO!

Keep trying Dems. Expect 1000 more tries. Nothing changed yet. Dems should just pull the war funding and end it. So why don't they? After all, the war on terror is just a bumper sticker right? Polls keep dropping and Reid keeps trying? I love it. Keep it up!

They didn't stand up for the 60+% of the American people that realize invading and occupying Iraq was a horrible mistake. They didn't stand up for the American soldiers who now have to "stay the course" until an arbitrary September deadline before hearing a report saying there is some improvement towards some of the benchmarks, so we must stay the course until the benchmarks are met.

You don't speak for the American people or for American soldiers, benedict. President Bush speaks for ALL Americans.